Most homes use basic systems for plumbing and drain systems. A main water line usually comes into a home through its foundation. From this location, the water line may run to a water heater, which generates hot water.
A plumbing drain trap is a shaped pipe located below or within a plumbing fixture such as a toilet, a sink, or a shower drain. A trap can be a U-, S-, or J-shaped trap, although U- and J-shaped traps are the most common traps used today. The various shapes are each named for the bends in the traps, which are used to prevent sewer gases from entering buildings through drain pipes. The bends in the traps are shaped to retain a small amount of water after use of the fixture. The water in the trap creates a seal that prevents sewer gases from passing from the drain pipe back into the building.
However, known plumbing traps have certain disadvantages. Many installations require shallow traps in order to fit against a concrete floor, whether that concrete floor is on a first floor or a basement floor, or for a second story installation. In the United States, basement floors are typically concrete floors so a shallow trap must be used for basement drain fixtures. The height of a trap seal is measured from the bottom of a trap arm at an outlet to the top of the trap dip, also know as the crown weir. A standard trap height may be 50 mm, for example, but a shallow trap may only have a trap height of 15 mm, for example. When a shallow trap is used, however, the amount of water in the trap is decreased compared to the amount in a regular trap, and regular evaporation of water in the trap may cause the water seal to be broken more quickly, thereby allowing sewer odors and gases to enter into the building.
In addition, in some other regions, such as Latin America, floor drains are typically placed next to a toilet in addition to in a shower. While traps connected to a shower drain or a toilet are easy to refill on a regular basis by running the shower or flushing the toilet, in order to maintain a proper seal for a floor drain pipe with a known plumbing trap, water must be poured into the drain on a regular basis. Otherwise, the water within the trap may evaporate and the water seal may be broken if air can pass through the bend in the trap, thereby allowing sewer odors and gasses to enter into the building.
Further, installing floor drains can be difficult because more than one professional is typically involved in the installation process. In a standard installation, a plumber will install the sub-floor plumbing components and then leave a drain pipe extending above an estimated floor height that will extend to a desired fixture. Then, a flooring specialist will finish the flooring above the sub-floor plumbing. Concrete is often poured around the drain pipe and then a finish flooring surface is installed above the concrete. Once the concrete is poured, however, it is difficult, if not impossible, to remove the drain pipe to cut it to the proper height. In order to cut the drain pipe below the flooring surface after the concrete is poured, the flooring specialist must chisel the cement around the drain pipe so that there is sufficient clearance for tools to cut the drain pipe below the flooring surface. But if the drain pipe is cut before the concrete is poured, it is difficult to determine the desired length of the drain pipe necessary to make the floor drain sit flush on the finished flooring surface.
Thus, an improved method for installing a floor drain to the correct height above a flooring slab and a plumbing trap is desired.